Jehangir Rashid
Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, June 5: On the occasion of World Environment Day, Environmental Policy Group (EPG) in co-ordination with organizations and members of Civil Society concerned about conservation of environment in state in general and Kashmir Valley in particular organized a sit-in today against the vandalizing, encroachments and destruction of natural resources.
The environmentalists and members of civil society attended the sit-in and expressed serious concern over the unabated destruction of forests, wildlife parks, national parks, sanctuaries, wetlands, rivers, lakes, tourist destinations and Karewas in cohorts with political class, bureaucrats, officials and tribunals.
The speakers lamented about the past pristine glory of Kashmir as one of the most preferred tourist destinations which has been reduced to any other shabby town due to illegal, unplanned and mushroom growth. The example of Sonamarg was quoted where a businessman had been permitted to construct hutment of 1500 square feet but he ended up constructing a monstrous concrete hotel building measuring 56000 square feet.
"How could it happen without the connivance of officials on the ground, their superiors and political masters is anybody's guess? The same fate has befallen on Pahalgam, Gulmarg, Srinagar and other upcoming tourist destinations," said the speakers. The speakers expressed deep concern about the dying Dal Lake for which the politicians are responsible due to the vote bank politics.
The participants expressed in one voice that in view of the vandalizing and destruction of natural resources of this magnitude the World Environment Day was 'A DAY OF MOURNING'. During the sit-in it was resolved that the organizations involved in conservation of environment and with the support of civil society will evolve a common strategy to fight issues related to environment that will include confronting the violators, vandalizers and naming and shaming them.
Among the prominent participants included eminent poet Activist Zarief Ahmad Zarief, Hameeda Nayeem, Shakeel Qalandar, Faiz Bakshi, Dr.Kundangar, Ajaz Rasool, Rauf Tramboo, Dr. Raja Muzaffar, Mohammad Amin Bhat, Siraj Ahmad and Sajad Gul etc.
The protest was organized by Environmental Policy Group (EPG) and RTI Movement was supported and participated by KCSDS, FCIK, TAAK, ATOAK, KHARA, KTMF, J&K Tourism Alliance, J&K People's Forum, Eco-Tourism Society of India-Kashmir Chapter, Kashmir Concern and others. |
